Philip Roessler, assistant professor of government, is this year's
recipient of the Gregory Luebbert Article Award for the best article in the
field of comparative politics. His article, "The Enemy Within: Personal
Rule, Coups and Civil War in Africa," appeared in the April 2011 issue of
World Politics.

“This is a great honor for any scholar, but for someone so early
in his academic career, it is extraordinary,” said John McGlennon, chair of the
government department. “We are very proud of Phil's achievements.”

The Luebbert Award is for articles published in the two years
prior to the awarding year and is selected by the American Political Science
Association (APSA)-Comparative Politics section. It was established in
1997. APSA annually presents Luebbert Awards in two categories – book and
article awards.

“The article breaks new ground in the study of civil war by
linking the outbreak of large-scale political violence in Africa to the
commitment problem that arises as elites try to share power in the shadow of
the coup d'état,” said Roessler.

In addition to his research on the coup-civil war nexus in Africa,
he is a co-PI on a multi-year panel survey that studies the micro-dynamics of
state partition in Sudan. Prior to coming to William & Mary Roessler
served as a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Oxford. Roessler
received his Ph.D. from the University of Maryland.